‘We’re excited to have freedom’: MultiVersus directors form new studio in response to ‘complexity of AAA games’
Airlock Games’ first title is a 16-bit space horror game
Directors behind Warner Bros.’ cancelled brawler, MultiVersus, have formed their own independent studio.
Airlock Games is a self-funded developer founded by MultiVersus production director Justin Fischer and technical director Brock Feldman.
In an announcement, Airlock Games said its business model would leverage the pair’s experience working on triple-A games, like Disney Infinity and Medal of Honor, to make smaller games “as efficiently as possible” in a “deliberate response to the increasing complexity of developing AAA titles”.
Their first game, What the Stars Forgot, is a “sim management horror game inspired by Star Trek and The Terror”, featuring 16-bit graphics. The game will go into Steam early access later this year, and is also available to support in Kickstarter.
Feldman and Fisher said: “We’ve spent years working on high-profile AAA titles, but we missed the wonderful, reckless creativity of more focused games.
“It’s a space where we can focus on providing new experiences that interest us both as players and developers. We’re so excited to have the freedom to take creative risks, push boundaries, and tell stories that just aren’t feasible for AAA productions.”
The online servers for MultiVersus officially closed down in May, bringing an end to Warner Bros Games’ crossover Smash Bros rival.
MultiVersus was a hit when it initially launched in July 2022, seeing 153,433 concurrent players on Steam at its peak. The player base quickly dwindled, however, and the game was closed down for almost a year.
It returned at the end of May 2024 and hit a peak of over 114,000 concurrent players, but this too dwindled, with Warner criticising the title for underperforming.
